I can’t count the times I get emails asking me to explain eCommerce and how marketing, design or both play a role in the eCommerce development and maintenance stages. It has been asked so often here, it became evident to me that we might be needing an introductory guide that is designed to introduce readers to the art of eCommerce, marketing and design.

I am pleased to announce the release of a new eCommerce Optimization guide. The eCommerce Introduction Guide was written by me as a resource for new or beginning merchants to use as a way to familiarize themselves with the three main areas surrounding the planning, launch and maintenance of an eCommerce business. The three areas we cover in the guide include introductions to eCommerce/eBusiness, eCommerce marketing and finally eCommerce web design. Each of the three sections include brief definitions, brief background or history and several of the main benefits to doing each the right way.

Categories within the guide include the overview, eCommerce with benefits, marketing with benefits and design with benefits.

Accessing The eCommerce Introduction Guide:

To access the new introduction guide simply click on the hyperlink from within the red merchant help and featured guides box on the top of the sidebar viewable on every page. in the future there will also be a featured guides page that has ink to all our guides, including this introductory guide. When the guides page launches you should see it within the main navigation near the top of each page directly under the header graphic.

eCommerce Introduction Guide Categories:

• Overview
• eCommerce
• eCommerce Benefits
• Marketing
• Marketing Benefits
• Design
• Design Benefits

Using The eCommerce Introduction Guide:

The eCommerce Introduction Guide is very easy to use, just read it and soak up all the information, that’s it. There’s no links, nothing to distract you, just plain content. Not just any content, it’s information about eCommerce, marketing and design that will help introduce you to the three main processes and stages related to planning, building, marketing and maintaining an eCommerce enabled site. In addition to definitions and history about each, you’ll find a list of several benefits to conducting business Online, marketing Online and designing a site that will perform well for you.

I recommend reading the guide and thinking of ways for you to make the most out of each benefit, you may even find there are additional benefits you weren’t aware of before reading the guide. For more definitions to popular terms related to eCommerce, marketing and design, be sure to check out our eCommerce Glossary, another great resource for new or beginner merchant sellers.